The Red Wines of the Southern Rhone Valley

The Southern Rhone Valley produces a distinctive range of wines, over 90% of which are red. These wines offer strong and unique flavors, good value, excellent compatibility with cuisine. The Rhone river runs south west from Switzerland over the border into France and down due south to Marseilles where its waters join the Mediterranean Sea. The Southern Rhone valley area encompasses the last third of that journey. Most of the vineyards are a short drive from the city of Avignon.

While the famous vineyards of the Northern Rhone area such as Hermitage and Cote-Rotie hug the steep ravines along the river farther to the north, in the Southern Rhone the vineyards fan out onto a countryside marked by plains and occasional hills. The most famous wine region and the one most noted for quality is Chateauneuf-du-Pape, the location of the ruins of the 15th century summer residence of the Avignon Popes. More recently the wines of Gigondas and to a lesser degree Vacqueyras, have risen to quality levels that approach that of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. The volume locomotive of the area however is the Cotes du Rhone appellation. Wines labeled Cotes-du-Rhone compare favorably in quality with comparably priced California wines.

With only a few exceptions, Rhone red wines are made with a blend of grape varieties. The most important of these is Grenache. In many wine regions, Grenache is considered a low quality grape. Grenache here, however, is grown on old vines and these vines are pruned back to give low quantities of grapes. The resulting grapes have concentrated flavors. Alcohol levels of Grenache wines tend to be high and acidity low. Syrah and Mouvedre are two other varieties that are considered important constituents in the wine blend. They possess strong aromas and flavors. They add color, earthy and gamy aromas, acidity, and tannic textures to the finished wine.

Other varieties allowed in the wine blends add nuances that are hard to isolate apart from the total bouquet and taste. Most wines display a characteristic range of smells: raspberry, black currant ,black pepper, cigar tobacco leaf wrapping, wet ashes, cloves, and asphalt. This exciting array of smells has a backdrop of ripe, full-bodied and soft tastes. With today's cuisines which emphasize generosity of smell and taste, Southern Rhone reds are a perfect fit.

I highly recommend the following wines, which I have rated on a 20 point system. 10 would denote a wine without any flaws but without any distinctive qualities. Very few wines score over 15. The wines are listed in the order of value for money, the first entry being the best buy. I have included my estimate of retail per bottle pricing in the U.S. market.

1996 Domaine d'Andezon, Cotes du Rhone, $9 -- 14 points

Notes: Deep garnet purple hue; distinctive Rhone aroma of wet ashes, cigarette, cigar wrapper, old smoked bacon, and ground pepper. In the mouth, the wine is .tart, dry. Heavy tannins sandpaper the palate. Dense and gamy. Serve with steak and lamb. A great buy!

1996 Delas Freres, Cotes du Rhone ,"Saint-Esprit", $9 -- 13 points

Notes: Medium garnet; aroma of red fruits, flowers, and game; wet ashes and raspberries; a dry tart, gaminess really comes out in the taste; finishes with a veggie and, smoky smells; moderate tannins; serve with dark-meated game birds. A very good buy.

1994 E. Guigal, Gigondas, $16 -- 14 points

Notes: Medium light garnet; intense raspberry aroma, more fruity than the Guigal Cotes-du-Rhone and less spicy than the Guigal Chateauneuf-du-Pape; cigar tobacco and wet ash flavors in the mouth, fruitcaky; rich and fat in the mouth with good acidity and moderate tannins; serve with savory red meats seasoned with provencal herbs, particularly lamb with rosemary. Good value.

1995 E. Guigal, Cotes-du-Rhone, $10 -- 13 points

Notes: Medium light garnet; cigar wrapper tobacco, raspberry, cloves, cinnamon, wet ashes; moderate body; moderate to light tannins; solid wine with excellent balance; serve with light meats and light-meated fowl. Good value.

1995 E. Guigal, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, $26 -- 14 points

Notes: Medium garnet with tints of brown; cherry, cloves, provencal herbs, cinnamon, complexity of aroma, strong spicy character; more tannic than the Guigal Gigondas; complex tannic textures, tart; wet ash in the finish; serve with roasts seasoned with rosemary, pheasant would be perfect.

1994 J. Vidal-Fleury, Vacqueyras, $12 -- 12 points

Notes: Medium light garnet; spicy cherry fruit,strawberry, red berry fruits, cloves,cedar; tart, moderate to low tannins, moderate body; a nice balance of fruitiness and gaminess

We thank Bill Nesto for sharing the knowledge he has gained in the course of becoming a Master of Wine.